Indicator-lock.



Patented Sept. Il, |900.

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(No Mudel.)

STATES CHARLES L. HOSFORD, OF HAYDENVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

INDICATOR-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersvIPatent No. 657,773, dated September 11, 1900. l

Application filed March 3 1900. Serial No. 7,219. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. HosFoRD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Haydenville, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Indicator-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to indicating-locks, the object of the invention being to simplify the construction of locks of this character and to provide means for indicating at sight whether lthe lock has been tampered with or not; and the invention consists in the mechanism hereinafter described, whereby the key of the lock not only operates the locking-bolt, but the indicating devices as well, and means are provided wherebyif a partial turn has been given to the key the latter cannot be rotated backward to be withdrawn, but must first make one full revolution. Thus if a key is inserted into the lock after the latter has been used to seal a door the key must either remain in the 1ock,thus disclosing the intention to open it, or it must be given one full revolution before it can be withdrawn, and thus effect a change in the indicated number of the lock.

The invention further consists in the provision of means whereby the lock mechanism cannot be operated independently of the operation of the indicating mechanism.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lock and indicating mechanisms in separated relations which embody this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the 'locking and indicating mechanisms assembled. Fig. 3 is a detailed view in perspective of the indicating mechanism. Fig. 4 is another detailed perspective view of the indicating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a portion ofthe back side of a toothed ring shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a view of the pinion which actuates the indicating mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a shallow cylindrical case which contains the lock mechanism, and 2 represents a similar case which contains the indicating mechanism. An annular plate 3 separates the two cases when in operative relation one to the other, as shown in Fig. 2. These two cases may be irrelnovabiy secured together by any suitable means. In the drawings a convenient means is shown, which consists in a pin 4, passing centrally through the cases and headed on each end thereof, and to provide proper support for said pin and stiffening for the cases a cylindrical boss is cast centrally in each case through which the said pin passes. (All shown in Fig. 2.)

The locking devices in the case 1 and the indicating devices in the case 2 are normally disconnected groups of mechanisms which are adapted to operate conjointly through the medium of a key 5 vwhich operatively engages the mechanism of both groups.

On the outside of the case 1 is hinged a hasp l6, in the free end of which is the square opening 7, which receives the locking-bolt S when the end of the hasp passes through the opening 9 in the case provided therefor. Said locking-bolt is pivotally hung on the inside of the case at 10 in such manner that the end thereof which engages the end of the hasp vmay swing freely across the opening 9. Said end of the bolt is beveled, as usual, in order that the hasp may be snapped by it, and it is normally held in front of said opening', as shown in Fig. 1, by a spring 11. A toothed segment 12 forms part of said bolt and meshes with a pinion 13, which is adapted to rotate on a stud 14 in the case 1, which constitutes a bearing for one end thereof, its opposite bearing being found in an annular perforation 15 through the `plate 3, that side of said gear lying next to said plate being provided with an enlarged base, of which a part turned `down to a smaller diameter than said base enters said annular opening in the'plate 3. The said turned-down portion is provided with the holes 15a, adapted to receive projections on a key to be referred to farther on.

It will be observed that the locking-boltextends down from its pivot close to the central boss in the case 1 and that this prevents the swinging of the bolt to the left, as looked at in Fig. l, and that the position of these parts, as shown in said figure, is maintained by the spring 11, and thus if said pinion 13 be rotated to the right it will swing said locking-arm in the saine direction and release the hasp, and if when so rotated the pinion be released, as by the withdrawal of the key, the

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the rings are so supported that at a point just spring 11 will immediately return the parts to their normal position and bring back the keyreceiving holes 15a into their original position again. Itis obvious from the above description that the locking mechanism is thus entirely independent of the indicating mechanism.

The indicating mechanism consists of the two thin metal rings 16 and 17 ot different diameters. The ring 16 is supported concentrically in the case 2 in a groove turned in the side of the plate 3, and the ring 17 is supported eccentric to said ring 16 in an annular depression 18, turned in the bottom of the case 2. (See Fig. 2.) Theinner edge of each of these rings is provided with gear-teeth, and

below the keyhole their teeth will register one with the other, and are thereby adapted to be engaged by a single pinion 19, whose axis is the same as the axis of the pinion 13 in the case 1. The pinion 19 is supported at one end by a hub which enters the opening l5 in the plate 3, and its opposite end is supported on another hub which enters an annular depression 20, formed in the inside of the case 2. Said pinion is slotted axially to receive a flat key, (shown in Fig. 1,)`a keyhole 20 being made through the case 2 in position to register with that in the pinion 19, (see Fig: 6,) and the end of the hub of said pinion, which lies in the plate 3, abuts against the end of the pinion 13, as shown in Fig. 2, which-also enters said opening from the other side of the plate.

An opening 21 is made in the case 2 through which a portion of each of the rings 16 and 17 may be seen and which is vertically over and on the opposite side of the case from the pinion 19, at which point, owing to the difference in the diameter of the two rings 16 and 17, nearly the full width of one side of each of said rings will be exposed to View, and on said exposed sides of the ringsindicatingnumbers are formed. These numbers are preferably not placed consecutively on each ring, and owing to the difference in their di-- ameters the ring 16 will vcontain several more numerals than the ring 17, the proportionate number on each ring being determined bythe proportion between their diameters. As the smaller ring will have a greater circumferential speed than the larger, it follows that the. same combination of indicating-figures will only appear once during several hundred revolutions of the wheels, thus -rnaking it impracticable to open the lock and lock it again on the same combination of indicating-numbers by rotating the rings until that combination comes again into View, and to prevent the backward rotation of the rings, whereby the same combination might be brought opposite the opening 21, one ofthe rings is provided with ratchet-teeth 22 on its edge with which a pawl 23 engages. In the drawings the said ratchet is shown as formed on the edge of the rib 24 on the ring 16, whichy rotates in a groove in the plate 3, as stated, and the pawl is hung on the plate 3 and is springpressed into contact with the ratchet-teeth by a spring 25. (See Fig. A part of the plate 3 is cnt away, as at 26, Fig. 3, to form a recess for the free end of the said spring when the plate is in position between the cases 1 and 2, as seen in Fig. 2, one-half of the groove 27, which receives the edge of said plate 3, being formed in the abutting edges of the two cases. Fig. 5 clearly shows the relation of the ring 16 to the plate 3, a part of said ring being broken away to show the ratcheted rib 24 underneath it.v

The operation of the lock is as follows: When the key is inserted into the keyhole 20a in the case 2, it passes through the pinion 19, and the projections on the forward end of the key enter the two slots or holes 15a of the pinion 13, the said slots being held normally in indicating position with the slot in the pinion 19 by the spring. 11 and the slot in the pinion 19 with the keyhole in the case 2 by means of the pawl 23 and ratchet 22. When the key is turned to the right, the pinion 19 will rotate both the rings 16 and 17, and when they have traversed the distance between two teeth of the ratchet the latter will prevent-the rotation of said rings backward, and their movement to the right m'ust be continued to the extent of one revolution, which will bring two new members into view through the opening in the case 2. Simultaneously with the above movement the pinion 13 will be rotated, and the segment 12 will .swing the locking-bolt to the right out of engagement with the hasp, which may then be Aswung open. as soon as the projections on the forward end 'of the key leave the slots 15a in the pinion 13 `the spring 11 will force the locking-bolt back If the key be now withdrawn,

to the position shown invFig. 1, leaving it in position to permit the end of the hasp to be snapped by the end of the bolt, as stated above, and leaving the key-slots 15n in indicating position with that of the pinion 19. The rings 16 and 17, however, remain stationsary, the teeth of the ratchet being so spaced `that when the key-slot in the pinion 19 registers with the slot in the case 2 the pawl will =be in engagement with one of said teeth. As

the bolt 8 swings to the right a stop is provided to arrest its movement, and conseqnently that of the key at the point where the latter completes one revolution.

In the drawings the stop is provided by the central boss cast on the inside of the case 1,

'against which the arm 28 of the segment 12 .strikes at the proper time to determine the {desired movement of the key. A pin suitably located in the case to the right of the bolt would answer the same purpose.

It is obvious it-no provision were made lagainst it that the locking mechanism could be actuated independently of the indicating mechanism, and thus open the lock without changing the indicating-numbers; butto pro- IOO vide against this the key-slots 15a in the pinion 13 ot' the locking mechanism are located out of the axial line of the key-slot in the pinion 19 ot' the indicating mechanism, and as the ends of the two pinions 13 and 19 abutit is impossible to insert a key through the pinion 19 to engage the pinion 13 without eecting the rotation of said pinion 19, and thus impart movement to the indicating devices. The key 5, to adapt it to this construction, is made with two projections 30 on its forward end, which enter the slots 15a to rotate the actuating-pinion 13 of the locking mechanism.

From the foregoing description it is seen that the lock as a whole comprises two practicallyindependent groups of mechanism, which are made to operate simultaneously by the insertion of the key which acts as interlocking means between said two groups. Each group is independently operable only in their separated relations-that is, the locking mechanism and the indicating mechanism may each be operated independently of the other when said groups are separated, but not when they are united to form the indicating-lock.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an indicator-lock, a locking mechanism and an indicating mechanism constituting in their separated relations two independently-operable groups, and a key therefor whereby the mechanism of both groups may be interlocked for simultaneous operation, and means for securing together said two groups in operative relation, substantially as described.

2. In an indicating-lock, a locking mechanism, and an indicating mechanism constituting in their separated relations two independently-operable groups, a pinion in each group axially located one relative to the other,where by primary movements are imparted to each group, and a key adapted to engage each pinion to effect their simultaneous operation, and means for securing together said two groups in operative relation, substantially as described.

3. An indicating-lock comprising in their separated relations two independently-operable groups ot mechanism, viz., a locking mechanism and an indicating mechanism; a key adapted to operate both groups simultaneously, a ratchet-and-pawl device for said indicating mechanism whereby the latter may be held against retrograde movement, and a spring for said locking mechanism whereby movement in opposition to that imparted by said key may be imparted to said mechanism upon the withdrawal of said key, and means for securing together said two groups in op erative relation, substantially as described.

4. In an indicating-lock, a suitable case, a locking mechanism, and an indicating mechanism constituting in their separated relations two independently-operable groups, a pinion in each group axially located one rela ative to the other, and having their adjacent ends in substantially the same vertical plane, a key-slot through the wall of said case and the pinion of said indicating mechanism, and a key-slot in the pinion of said locking mechanism on one side of the axis thereof, and means for securing together said two groups in operative relation, substantially as described.

5. In an indicating-lock, a suitable case, a locking mechanism and an indicating mechanism constituting in their separated rela; tions two independently operable groups; said indicating mechanism consisting of two toothed rings of different diameters; indicats ing characters on one side thereof, and a pinion adapted to rotate both rings simultaneously, and an aperture through the wall of said case, whereby said characters may be seen; a key adapted to interlock said indicating and locking mechanisms to operate both simultaneously, and a suitable detent to prevent the movement of said rings in one direction, and means for securing together said mechanisms in operative relations, substantially as described.

6. In an indicating-lock, a suitable case, a locking device consisting of a swinging bolt, a toothed segment thereon; a pinion adapted to engage the latter; an indicating mechanism consisting of two toothed rings of differ ent diameters, indicating-numerals on said rings, a pinion adapted to engage the teeth of both of said rings which pinion is supported in the casein axial alinement with the pinion of the locking mechanism, normally-registering key-slots in both of said pinions, a key adapted to rotate said pinions simultaneously in one direction, a spring-bearing on said swinging bolt, whereby its operating-pinion is reversely rotated back to normal position, when the key is withdrawn, and a detent to prevent the reverse rotation ot' said rings, and means for securing together said two groups in operative relation, substantially as described.

CHARLES L I-IOSFORD.

Vitnesses:

Mrs. C. L. I-IosFoRD, FRANK B. HosFoRD.

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